


Freckles, Flowers, and Ferocity

by TayTay123456



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complete, F/M, Mild Swearing, Mild mentions of abuse and sickness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24063358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayTay123456/pseuds/TayTay123456
Summary: A short, sweet, simple tale of Charlie Weasley finally falling in love. Complete.
Relationships: Charlie Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi:) Just a quick note that I am aware the ages of the second-generation are all out of order in this story. I wrote this long before I researched, and created, a timeline of likely ages for the Weasley Grandchildren.

Charlie Weasley loved his family. He loved their laughter and mischievous attitudes. He loved their appreciation for good food and conversation. Loved their kind and open-minded nature. Loved their tendency to care for each other without effort as if it was simply deep-seated into their minds. Mostly, he loved their strength, solidarity and tight-knitted affection. Charlie liked to think he shared the same characteristics that he admired within his family circle, but he knew if there was a black sheep to be had he was it.

The Weasley Clan was made of strong backs and unwavering loyalty. All were lovers, but had the skillset to be fighters when pushed. That was the significant difference between Charlie's siblings and himself. He didn't consider himself much of a lover at all. He was a fighter first and a lover second. He was wild and as untamed as the dragons he spent so much of his time with. Charlie loved his family and was certainly capable of affection and compassion, yet he lacked a need for roots.

He didn't know how to be content as they were. He was constantly restless even in their presence. Sitting at dinners, as his siblings bickered and his nieces and nephews ran about the small house in laughter, Charlie felt his heart beating strongly. Each time he saw a familiar face, he felt a burst of pride and happiness. He was a part of something so real and wonderful that sometimes Charlie felt inadequate. He had no wife. No children. No romance. He had never maintained interest in a woman long enough to develop true depth of emotion. In his teens, love with a woman was the last thing on his mind.

He enjoyed women. He enjoyed their bodies and minds. He enjoyed their laughter and personalities. He had a handful of one-night stands before realizing he left those encounters feeling uncomfortable. Slimy and dirty. He began making it clear to any woman that while he was interested and willing to be friends, he wasn't looking for relationships. This upfront way was how Charlie continued for years while working in Romania. At the time, he was in his mid-thirties and all of his siblings were married or engaged. Bill and Fleur had two daughters and a third pregnancy freshly announced. Ginny and Harry had a small baby boy and were already discussing more. Hermione and Ron were beginning to talk openly about having children as soon as Hermione's next promotion came along. Charlie was the only single, unattached male left in the family. His mother truly began to harp him.

For an entire year, during every holiday he had traveled home for, Molly gave him long talks about his bachelor lifestyle. She alternated between fussing and nearly crying. What was he doing with his life? Was he going to stay in the remote mountains in Romania with dragons until he died? Was he going to continue to miss precious times with his siblings, nieces, and nephews? How long did he think his parents would live? After all, they were nearly seventy. Did he love dragons that much that he was willing to stay isolated?

The following year, Charlie had gone to the Ministry on an early January morning. He applied for a transfer from Romania Dragon Sanctuary to the considerably smaller company in Scotland. He didn't tell his mother, but did inform his father and most of his brothers. By the Easter holidays, Charlie was moving his few belongings into a small cottage seaside just a brisk walk away from Bill and Fleur's house. One particular weekend, Bill and Arthur traveled by Portkey to Romania. They helped Charlie Transfigure books and clothes and pack them into boxes. A bit of Charm work and all of the belongings were stuffed into the pocket of their robes.

The cottage was decent, although nothing spectacular. It had one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and a rather large den and kitchen. This worked well for Charlie, who was well known for studying Alchemy in his free time. He was always looking for ways to enhance medicines relatable to aiding dragons. Charlie had a fairly large savings in his Vault account. Plenty of paperwork on Bill and Charlie's part meant the account in Romania was eventually transferred back to Gringotts in Britain.

After a birthday dinner for Ron in March, Charlie pulled Molly aside and explained what he had done. Spoke to his boss and put in an official Notice of Departure. Turned in his transfer papers at both the Romanian and Britain Ministry. Been accepted as Head of Dragon Handling at the Scotland Sanctum. Closed his Romanian Vault account and transferred all money to Gringotts once more. Bought a cottage nearby Bill and Fleur. Portkey'd his important belongings into his new home.

Molly had clung to him, laughing and crying loudly enough that half the family rushed into the kitchen. She had turned around, wiping tears and exclaiming, "Charlie is coming back home. He's going to work at the Scotland Sanctum."

The following six years had passed well. George and Angelina officially sealed the deal on their long engagement and promptly announced their pregnancy. As time progressed, Charlie's siblings popped out more and more children. Charlie truly enjoyed being closer to his parents. He was close enough that he could Apparate to the Burrow for dinners every Sunday. Occasionally, he visited Hogwarts to give special speeches and performances to N.E.W.T Care of Magical Creatures class. When he was at the castle, he would visit with McGonagall, Flitwick and other friendly teachers of his. Sometimes, he even took in a Quidditch match.

He saw Bill weekly. They would go sea-fishing together and drink Firewhiskey around a bon-fire on the beach. Fleur would cook spectacularly fancy dinners on the nights Charlie would show up at their door. Charlie liked being an uncle and didn't choose favorites at all, but because of how close he was to Shell Cottage he found himself in the company of Bill's three children more than any others.

Victoire was stunning like her mother with silvery hair that looked like silk. Her skin glowed just slightly and was smoother than butter. Her face was of the purest aristocracy with high cheek bones, a delicate button nose, full lips, and perfectly arched eyebrows. She was physically stunning like her mother and clever like her father. At eighteen years old, Victoire was fresh out of Hogwarts and undergoing a Charms Apprenticeship at the Ministry with the intent of joining the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She worked hard and could often be found hunched over the kitchen table with thick tomes. She took notes, listened to any advice or techniques Bill showed her. She was in a long-standing relationship with the respectable and talented Teddy Lupin, which was Harry's godson and just two years older than Victoire. The girl was charming and loyal. Smart and not nearly as up-tight as her mother as far as Charlie could tell.

Dominique, who preferred to be called Dom, was just starting her N.E.W.T years at Hogwarts. At sixteen, she was finally beginning to look like a young woman instead of a little girl. She had a head full of dark red hair that was curly and untamable just like Bill's. She was slim like her sister and parents, but was beginning to earn rather big curves in places that made Bill nervous. Dom's face looked innocent with sprinkles of freckles across her nose and cheeks, but the sharp smirk across her lips was a give-away for mischief. The girl adored pranking and could often be found in Uncle George's shop on any given weekend during holidays. Bright blue eyes were constantly dancing with secrets and laughter. She loved a heated debate and adored all things athletic. Dom was current Quidditch Captain of Gryffindor and played as lead Chaser. She was smart and made excellent grades, although she had a problem with being easily distracted, which kept her for reaching her fullest academic potential. She was planning to follow in her Aunt Ginny's footsteps and play professional Quidditch. She hadn't yet decided what she would do after a few years of professional sports, but she showed excellent skills in Charms and Care of Magical Creatures.

Louis had only recently started his journey at Hogwarts. He was still a little boy, but growing to look like his father every day. The boy was a scholar at heart and could be found with his nose in a book most of the time. He showed a level of intelligence that surpassed his older sisters, but was not beyond mischief and mayhem. In actuality, the family had quickly realized Louis was a troublemaker. Until he went to school, it was James and Dom who managed to get into trouble the most. Now, Louis was right up there on the Infamous Trouble List. Despite his attention to all things involving learning, Louis had a temper. He disliked any form of injustice and often brawled with any who had negativity toward his family or friends. As a First Year, Bill and Fleur would have years' worth of detentions and Howlers to handle.

Due to a rather angry female Scottish Green Giant, Charlie was running late for the family get-together at the Burrow. He Apparated quickly and popped into existence just outside the rickety gate of his childhood home. There were loud greetings from various children, but the loudest was from Dom. She was nearest to the gate where she had been playing catch with Molly, Lucy, and Lily. She whirled around, dropping the ball and opening the gate. It squeaked as Charlie walked through it. He gave a tired smile. "What's up, Dum-Dum?"

He reached out and thumped Dom's freckled nose softly.

She rolled her twinkling eyes and asked, "How badly are you hurt?"

"Not too badly." He replied, "I healed the worst of it."

Dom frowned and absentmindedly tossed the Quaffle across the yard. The two sisters, Molly and Lucy, chased after it in friendly competition. Lily purposely walked slowly, so the younger two would catch the ball and win. Dom asked, "What happened this time? You get bit?"

Dom followed as Charlie made his way through the opened backdoor. He said, "No. My female Green Giant, Tikki, is in heat. She wasn't happy when I came to feed her and accidently irritated her chosen mate for the season."

"Did she try to smush you?" Dom asked eagerly as Charlie gave the closest person a hug. It just happened to be Ginny. Next was Harry and then George. His nephew- dark skinned and haired like his mother- gave a grin that strongly resembled his father. Freddie asked, "You got trampled?"

Charlie threw himself into a nearby chair just as Molly whirled away from the stovetop, where Victoire and Rose were helping chop vegetables. She hugged her son with one arm and fretted, "Are you okay, dear? Do you need a Burn Salve?"

"No." He answered with a quick grin, "She caught me with her claws."

Molly's wrinkled face went stern. She pointed a wooden spoon and said, "You're trying to give your poor Mum a heart attack, aren't you?"

"Of course not, Mum." Charlie replied easily, "I love you."

Arthur walked into the kitchen with Bill and Percy at his side. He smiled and greeted, "Hello, Charlie. Adventurous day at work?"

"Always, Dad." Charlie poured a large cup of orange juice from a nearby pitcher. He took a deep pull and asked, "How about you? Anything interesting?"

Arthur's eyes lit up. He said, "I confiscated a new Muggle tool. Let me get it and I'll be right back to show you."

Charlie smiled as Bill chuckled and Percy rolled his eyes. Both brothers sat across from Charlie. Harry took the last empty seat and sighed heavily, rubbing at his neck just as Ron and Hermione came from outside with a gaggle of little girls on their heels. There was a chorus of, "Uncle Charlie!" Then, Charlie found pointy elbows smacking him in the stomach and legs as bodies climbed all over him. He closed his eyes tightly just as an elbow caught him in the eye-socket.

He groaned as Hermione began to fuss with an added stern word from Grandma Molly across the kitchen. Charlie shook his head and said, "It's okay. It's fine, 'Mione."

Charlie settled Little Molly on one knee and Little Lucy on the other. They held on tightly and giggled as Charlie began to tap a wild rhythm with his feet. They shook about, grinning at each other, as they rode his knees like little ponies. Charlie cradled Lily against his chest, affectionately returning her hug. She had just turned thirteen-years-old and was the spitting-image of Ginny. She was still trailing after her older brothers, seemingly unsure, and yet, Charlie had seen Lily stand on her own when determined. Where did the time go, Charlie wondered?

* * *

He fit in rather quickly at Scotland Sanctum. Anywhere with dragons was a place Charlie would love to be. Romania had a wider variety of species, but Scotland was not without its beauty. Green Giants and Blue Burns were the two most common. One was native to Scotland while Blue Burns were from Ireland. Belgium Rainbows were extremely rare and rather docile. An old female, sickly and dying despite all the experts around the countries working on her, had finally seen a turnaround when Charlie showed up. He had named her Iris and one of the first commands made as Head Handler was: no one was to touch Iris unless given his permission.

Because of Charlie's vast experience and position as Head of Dragon Handling, he was allowed to pair any Handler to any animal he so chose. There was a pair of German Jewels, an extremely rare species, that had been shipped in only a year before. Their nest had been destroyed in a flooding event. Charlie had jumped at the chance to care for them. The female, which he had named Buttercup, was doing wonderfully.

Despite the famous nasty tempers of German Jewels, Buttercup had taken Iris under her wing. They were often curled up together. On long nights, they would roar and call to each other in happy conversation. Oddly enough, Buttercup's mate allowed Iris to remain close to their sleeping areas without harming the old female. The male German Jewel tried to trample and eat every human that came near his mate. Charlie was the only exception. And that was because nobody else respected the prideful male as he wished to be respected. Brutus was wild and vicious. Charlie adored him.

For years, his family wanted to see the dragons he cared for on a daily basis. Living and working in Romania meant his family hadn't gotten the chance. Financially, none of the Weasleys could afford such a trip. The brewing war had only added to the problems. When he first began working at Scotland Sanctum, the idea hadn't occurred to him. He wanted to become accustomed to a new environment, animals, and people first. It was a few months into his new job that Ron had excitedly asked when he could come to the Sanctum. A multitude of other family members were curious as well.

Unfortunately, Charlie was not on a personal basis yet with the owners of the Sanctum, the Frawley brothers. They knew very little about Charlie Weasley, other than good word of mouth and an impressive string of documents. He had assured his family once he had built up trust and understanding, he would approach the brothers about bringing his family to see dragons. It had taken a few years before Charlie had felt confident in himself, his dragon charges, his coworkers, and his bosses. On March first, Ron's thirty-ninth birthday, Charlie had finally gotten approval to lead a tour group.

There were restrictions, but Charlie was more than capable of protecting his family from dragons. Of course, a brood as big as theirs meant not everyone could attend. All the older children were safely tucked away at Hogwarts and were sorely disappointed they couldn't see Uncle Charlie's dragons. The youngest children were at the Burrow with Molly, who absolutely didn't want to see the beasts. Percy wasn't particularly interested in the dragons, either.

That left Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Bill and Fleur, George and Angelina, Victoire and Teddy, and Arthur. Everybody was excited with grins on their faces. Charlie started off through the main entrance and tossed out bottles of Odorless Mask. He said, "This keeps all of you relatively scent free. I know I told all of you not to wear any kind of perfumes or colognes. You listened, right?"

Everyone nodded and took turns spraying the front of their clothes and then the back. Charlie waved his wand and Vanished the bottles of Mask. He led them to another room, where everyone signed a paper ensuring the Sanctum would not be sued if they were maimed or killed by any animals within the facility.

Ron grumbled, "We aren't likely to get eaten, are we?"

Charlie snorted, "Don't worry, Birthday Boy, I'll keep you safe from the monsters."

After a brief rundown on basic safety measures, Charlie led the group through a sealed metal door. It led outside into a rather large and empty section of a meadow. There was a neat line of big steel and iron cages toward the left at the edge of a thick forest. Charlie led them down a stone walkway that cut straight through the meadow. They all walked on, listening to the echoing roars and growls coming from every direction. Ron kept looking up at the midday sky, but saw no winged giants. They came to the opposite side of the field where two wizards stood beside an impressive gate. The wall surrounding this side of the meadow went as far as the eye could see both on the right and left side. The metal wall was easily taller than a giant. The gate was wrought-iron with chains crossed all around it.

High in the air atop the wall was row after row of sharp, pointy spikes made of enchanted silver and iron. Charlie saw the curious eyes of his family. He said, "The spikes are Charmed to let out an electric shock if touched by the dragons. It wouldn't be enough to seriously injury them, but would be enough to make them think twice before barreling through."

"They just fly free passed this gate?" Ron choked out.

Charlie grinned and said, "No. Depending upon species, size, and temperament the dragons are sectioned into Charmed Wards. They all have their own free-grazing and flying space. You will see in just a moment. The gate is just a precaution."

He spoke good-naturedly with the guards before the hefty gate swung backward and smashed into the wall with great grumbles and thudding. Charlie looked at the wide eye stares of his group and said, "That gate has to be able to move quicker than a dragon. Safety measure. You sure don't want to be in its way when it swings closed. Come along. Stay close."

Fleur spoke up in a nervous whisper, "I am not sure if zis iz safe, Bill."

"Charlie does this for a living, honey." Bill replied amusedly, "I will protect you."

"Don't worry, Mum." Victoire spoke up from beside them. Her voice was rather chipper. She held tightly to Teddy's hand and smiled at her mother. "Uncle Charlie won't let any dragons hurt us, right, Charlie?"

"Of course not, little love." Charlie smiled, "And there are emergency procedures that I know almost better than my own name. Trust me."

Within the towering walls was miles and miles of rolling hills and forest and lakes. The backdrop was a never-ending blue sky. They all stopped and simply stared. Harry whispered, "Wow. Beautiful."

Charlie grinned and said, "Yeah. I love walking around this place."

There was a fairly small shack, big enough to hold various equipment. Charlie dug through wooden trunks as he said, "This place is far bigger and we would spend days touring it all. I'm going to keep us fairly close to the front portion of the fields."

He brought them down a worn path through the grass. The sounds of dragons were increasing in volume. Dragon Handlers in thick leather gear could be see zooming to and fro within the bright blue sky.

He spoke as they walked, "I know most of you are nervous and some of you don't like flying. We keep the most temperamental dragons further out, you know, away from the more docile dragons. It is only reachable by broom or Apparition, but the sensitive dragons don't particularly like the sound of Apparition. Today, I'm going to introduce you to the gentler of my beasties."

They went up a grassy hill and came down slowly. Charlie pointed toward the right at the base of the hill and smiled. "That pretty thing drinking by the stream is an Irish Blue Burn. She is a female and mine. Her name is Belle. Come closer."

They walked on and Charlie was fully willing to sprint down the hill, but most everyone else was rather cautious. They took their time and meandered closer. Charlie pointed out the slightly shimmering Ward and explained, "She can't pass this barrier unless the Ward is taken down. She has plenty of space to roam with only her mate within the Ward boundaries as company. During mating season, we do occasionally take certain Wards down to allow specific dragons to…um…mingle. But Belle already _mingles_ with Brian regularly, so they stay right in this area. It is called Section A."

Several people chuckled. They stepped through the Ward and walked on. With Bill's help, Charlie had created a Charmed wooden bridge and crossed a portion of a large stream. He gestured and the group stopped walking and simply stared. Charlie's wand was held tightly in his right hand. He would throw up a powerful Shield over his family and send out a Patronus Alarm if Belle attempted any feisty movements.

And then, she looked up from the water. Her wedge head, a beautiful powder-blue, moved in a hypnotic position. Golden eyes and slit pupils shuddered, a thick lid disappearing with a single blink of her eyes. She let out a snort that sounded very much like the explosion of a cauldron. Charlie called out, "How are you doing, Belle? I brought some visitors. Tell them hello."

She snorted again and sparks rushed out of her wide-set nostrils. She maneuvered, dipping her front claws into the water and smoothly letting her legs curl until she was lying half on the muddy bank and half in the water. Beneath their feet, the ground rumbled with her hefty body weight plopping down.

Charlie sighed as a growl echoed just as a midnight-blue dragon edged his way through the treeline. His eyes were vivid orange and intent on Charlie. He said, "Everyone calmly back up. Do not take your eyes from the male in the trees. When you're outside of the Ward, just wait for me."

Brian lumbered closer with ground-shaking thumps. His head was low to the ground like a bull right before charging. His tail flickered back and forth quicker than a whip. His pace was slow, but relentless. Charlie stood tall and tense with his wand held tightly. He never raised his arms and barely breathed. He no longer heard the shuffling feet of his family and hoped they had made it beyond Section A's Ward boundary. Brian dragged his smooth belly across the bank as he slithered into the stream and made his way toward the opposite bank where Charlie stood.

He took one large step backward, keeping his eyes squarely on Brian as the male dragon lunged out of the stream and shook gallons of water off of him with one thunderous shake. Years of practice ensured Charlie kept his muscles locked and did not flinch or wipe the water off of his face. Brian snorted as he took half a step and nearly crushed Charlie's thick-booted foot. Despite the extremely long and sharp claws digging into the tip of Charlie's boots, the wizard didn't make a sound. He could feel the heat coming off of the Blue Burn in waves. The sniffing was fine, encouraged even, as Charlie took a deep breath.

His eyes stayed on one large orange orb as Brian turned his head. Charlie spoke loudly as he stared at the dragon. "This is Brian. He is rather protective of his mate."

Brian abruptly butted his head against Charlie's shoulder and it sent the wizard stumbling back a full step. He was prepared for this and caught himself quickly. His left leg was behind him, holding him in place and keeping him from falling down. Brian butted his head against Charlie's shoulder once more, letting out a hiss that was somehow sinister and delightful all at the same time.

Charlie brought his left hand up very slowly, allowing Brian to see the appendage as it was held horizontally out away from Charlie's body. Brian turned his big head away from Charlie's shoulder, which pulled dark blue scales across Charlie's chest. The sharpness of the scales ripped the fabric of Charlie's leather plate and through his t-shirt to the skin below. Charlie pressed his lips together tightly, allowing Brian to blow hot air across his arm. Brian took a powerful step backward and let out a quick choking sound, which Charlie knew was reluctant acceptance.

Charlie nodded his head once before slowly beginning to back away in big, overly exaggerated steps. Eventually, Brian turned away and lumbered across the stream once more. Charlie still didn't turn his back on the dragons. He called out, "I'll come back to feed you both later."

Then, he was across the wooden bridge and outside of the Ward. He turned to face his family and grinned. He said, "Brilliant, aren't they?"

"You're bleeding, Uncle Charlie." Victoire pointed out in awe.

Charlie frowned, glanced down and saw his chest. He waved his wand and the leather breast plate was suddenly sewed shut once more. He rolled his head and said, "Yeah. Brian was determined to put his scent all over me. Territorial fellow, he is."

He gestured and said, "You guys have to meet my favorite girl. She's pure brilliance, I swear it. Best dragon in this Sanctum. Let's go. It isn't too far. She likes to be close to people, which is definitely not normal for dragons."

"Brian is the name of the male Blue Burn?" Harry asked as they walked.

Charlie glanced behind him and met the wizard's eyes. He said, "Yes. That is Belle's mate. They had a different Handler before I arrived. My first day on the job, the bosses wanted to see if I was capable of handling difficult cases as they had been told I could. Brian is their most ornery Blue Burn. Over six years, he and I have come to an understanding. He's a good dragon. Very nice friend and mate to Belle."

They walked perhaps a quarter mile beyond Section A before they hit another shimmering Ward. Charlie said, "This is Section B and it is about the same size as Section A. As you can see, Section B holds more water than forest. This is because the dragon here is fond of water. Most Belgium Rainbows are."

"Are you sure we could not zimply ztand beyond zay Ward?" Fleur asked.

Charlie stopped and faced his family. He frowned and slowly said, "Of course you can. I don't want anybody upset. I will call her down here in a moment. If anybody wants to stand outside of the Ward, go ahead."  
Everybody looked to one another before Teddy grinned, "Don't look at the Hufflepuff. I'm definitely staying inside of the Ward. Gotta be brave around a lot like you all." Victoire and Harry laughed.

Ron said, "You're plenty brave, Teddy. For a Hufflepuff."

Teddy pretended to cough as he said, "Spiders."

Ron slugged him in the shoulder and blushed.

Bill said, "I will stand on the outside of the Ward if you need me to, love."

Fleur pressed her lips together and shook her head. "No. Continue, please, Charlie."

Charlie smirked and said, "All of you stay right here. Don't be scared. She's one of the gentlest dragons I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

He turned and took off running. He came down, sliding slightly until he was at the base of the hill. There was a deep muddy impression right where he was standing. He knew she loved to sleep right here. Charlie looked up and cupped his hands around his mouth as he yelled, "She's going to come flying to me. Don't panic. Just watch."

He turned his back to his family and sucked in a deep breath. And let out a deep-bellied shout. It echoed across the rolling hills and bright sky. A moment passed and a roar could be heard. It was loud and piercing and drawn out. Charlie took a deep breath and replied in kind, throwing his head back. He was grinning like a madman as the distant figure abruptly launched itself into the sky, hovering just above a cluster of Evergreen trees toward the left. She was stunning as she came flapping gracefully his way. Iridescent silver scales shined and threw off a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors.

Iris was his pride and joy and made his heart beat faster inside of his chest. She came gently swooping down and landed with a thunderous crash of clawed feet. In a rather dramatic display, she threw up a slew of mud and water. It covered Charlie head to toe, but he grinned and spit out the mouthful of grit.

She was a big girl, mature at an estimated age of eighty-five, and had been gaining a healthy amount of weight in the few years she had been with Charlie. Iris took a big step forward just as Charlie did. He reached up, allowing his arms to circle her wide neck. Iris let out soft hisses as she placed her thick wedged head against Charlie's right shoulder. The chin of most dragons was soft and without scales. The skin was smooth as it rubbed against the top of Charlie's shoulder. He hugged her closely and whispered, "Hey, my girl. How you doing today?"

She snorted as he asked, "Happy to see me?"

He laughed and said, "I'm happy to see you, too. I have a favor to ask."

Iris snorted again and moved her back feet restlessly. It sent another wave of mud splashing against Charlie's clothes. He asked, "Would you be willing to meet my family? Huh, my Queen? They'd be delighted to meet you."

Carefully he took a step back and stared into her emerald green eyes. Big and awe-inspiring eyes. He patted her cheeks with both hands before moving upward and stroking her nose from the top to the bottom. She snorted and singed his hand, but he kept petting. Eventually, Iris cocked her head to the side and her bejeweled eyes turned upward to observe the humans at the top of her hill.

"That's them, Iris." Charlie whispered happily, "My brothers and sisters. My father. My niece and nephew."

Iris slowly folded her back feet until she was sitting on the muddy ground. Then, she turned to look at Charlie. He grinned and carefully climbed up her flanks until he was on her spine. He made sure to keep his booted feet to the side of her spine as he walked across her back. He came to her shoulder blades and sat in the thick dip between her lavender-colored wings. He leaned forward, hugging her neck like a necklace as she climbed the hill. She was slow and not using even half the swift speed Charlie knew she was capable of.

He pressed a kiss to her silver scales and whispered, "Such a smart and considerable girlie. They won't be scared after they see how sweet you are."

When they made it to the top of the hill, Iris lowered her neck until her chin touched the grassy ground. Charlie maneuvered slightly and then slid smoothly down her neck like a child would on a playground slide. He landed with his feet spread on either side of Iris's head. He stepped away from her and she lifted her head, staring him straight in the eyes. This was the only dragon he would allow to see his back. He turned to his family, grinning broadly as Iris stood closely behind him. She stayed crouched over, so she could occasionally nudge his head in affection.

Charlie stared at his delighted and stunned family. He proudly declared, "This is Iris, the absolute love of my life. She was extremely sick for years, but took a liking to me. I put her on a special feeding regime and created a tonic for her. She's fit and back to her glorious self, aren't you, my love?"

A long, narrowed tongue came out of the dragon's mouth. With razor sharp five-inch teeth just a breath's away from his neck, Iris let her tongue sleek up the side of Charlie's head. He grinned and reached behind him, blindly petting her cheek.

Hermione asked, "Your safety measures are…different for her?"

"Oh, yes." Charlie answered with a smile, "But only unofficially. No other deals with her except me. I have a personal code when it comes to conduct with dragons. With Iris, my rulebook doesn't exist. She acts nothing like most dragons. See, dragons have basic traits. All have mood swings, especially in regards to mating and feeding. They're all territorial and vicious when hunting. It's a part of being a wild reptile, but Iris seems to lack mood extremes and territorial aspects. She was sad before I came to the Sanctum, but she has remained happy and content ever since."

He grinned and asked, "Anybody want take a ride?"

Victoire stepped forward and shakily said, "I do…I think."

Teddy took a deep breath and said, "Me, too."

"No." Fleur spoke up firmly, "Do not argue, Victoire."

Bill said, "I could ride with her, love."

Charlie could see it in his brother's eyes. He was dying to get on Iris's back. Charlie smirked at him and said, "Come on, Bill, or are you too old for adventure?"


	2. Part Two

It was autumn and that was Charlie's favored time of year. He liked the cold, which he attributed to all his years in Romania. He liked the jolliness of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. He liked celebrating his birthday as well as Bill's. The man was, and would always be, Charlie's greatest confidante. They were coming up on the large Weasley Thanksgiving Feast in just a few days. Charlie was happily looking forward to it. Charlie was thinking of his family, relaxing by the fireplace in his tiny den when a brisk knock sounded at his door.

It was about six in the evening, a fairly early night for somebody as busy as Charlie. With shorter days and colder nights, the dragons were fed earlier. His day was over unless, of course, the alarms sounded for an emergency with the dragons. He wasn't expecting company, but guessed Bill or one of the kids might be outside his door. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find a woman on his porch.

Shortly after his family's visit to the Sanctum in March, a new recruit was brought in. Head Handler had to train the new blood, which was fine with Charlie. Charlie was not in any way a chauvinist, but he had been mildly surprised to discover the recruit to be a female. There were no female Handlers in Romania and, until Delilah Fawley, there were none at the Sanctum. As a recruit, she had been eager, hardworking, unafraid, and attentive, which was certainly necessary in their line of work. She had the strong personality made for Dragon Handling, but that wasn't what made Charlie like her.

She caught and held Charlie's attention because of her compassion and determination. Delilah was empathetic to all around her. She had a knack for Healing and a mind that always looked for reasons to understand why somebody, or something, was acting a certain way. She was purely understanding and accepting. Compassionate. Bold with her emotions. He liked her, was attracted to her. Had been for some time. They were friends of a sort, but never had she given any indication that she thought of Charlie beyond that.

Charlie frowned and said, "Hey, Delilah. How are you?"

She gave a wobbly smile and said, "Hey, C. Is this a bad time?"

"No." He opened the door wider and gestured her inside. He closed the door and asked, "Would you like tea? My Mum gave me these incredible lemon biscuits yesterday. I'm willing to share."

Delilah smiled and Charlie tried not to stare at her rose-petal pink lips. She said, "That sounds lovely. You're sure I'm not bothering you?"

"Not at all." He said as they walked slowly toward the den. He said, "Take a seat wherever you'd like. Let me get you a cup."

He disappeared into the kitchen. He was puzzled as to why Delilah had showed up unannounced, but not irritable about it. Over the last seven months, they had become friends. They spent hours together seven days a week at work, often times taking lunch together. He was her mentor, but she had become his friend. He wasn't sure how or why or when they had become friends, but it had happened. It started with instructions and encouragement while cleaning dragon dung out from underneath Iris's scales. Then, it was curious discussions as they scarfed down ham sandwiches in the grassy fields.

They had so many common interests that Charlie was dumbfounded by. Her love for dragons, and animals in general, was profound. He could tell by the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes when she dealt or spoke about them. She didn't mind getting down and dirty. She wasn't a prissy or fussy female at all. She had even wrestled in the mud with him once. It had turned into a particularly good day when they discovered Belle and Brian had conceived, so an impromptu jump in the mud and stream had seemed like the thing to do.

Shaking himself away from the memories, Charlie came back into the den and found Delilah sitting at the small roundtable in the corner of the room. He went to her, carefully setting out a tray and a kettle. He sat across from her and tapped the decorative tin box. He said, "Those biscuits are everything. I guarantee you're going to eat them all."

She rolled her gray-blue eyes and said, "Whatever. Don't believe you."

She fixed her cup of tea as he fixed his own. He watched with a smirk as she took a chomp out of a delicate lemon cookie. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Yummy."

"I told you." Charlie chuckled and asked, "How's Gideon?"

Delilah's face melted into a soft look Charlie found endearing. She said, "He is definitely excited for Halloween night. He picked a costume from a shop today."

Charlie asked, "What did he pick?"

Delilah watched as Charlie dunked his biscuit into his tea. She laughed and said, "He is going to be a vampire bat. He's quite happy about it."

"Scary." Charlie responded, "Misunderstood. Predatory. I like his choice."

"Did you ever meet a vampire in Romania?" Delilah asked curiously.

Charlie smirked, "Yes. I did. Twice."

Those expressive eyes came alive. He watched them go from a dove grey to a darker blue. He was fascinated and nearly missed it as she excitedly demanded, "Tell me."

"Well, the first was a business acquaintance that provided vials of vamp blood at a steep price. It helped with Dragon Blood Replenisher, though."

"What was he like?" Delilah asked as she leaned forward, putting her elbow on the table and her chin in the cup of her hand.

Charlie explained, "He was rather peaky looking with short black hair. His teeth didn't look very pointy to me, but I've been told that vampires are capable of very strong Glamour Charms. He was a quiet guy. Didn't talk at all, really, but had a wicked pair of ruby-red eyes."

"Shut up!" She exclaimed with a delighted laugh, "You're so friggin' brave."

He shook his head and said, "Nah. I always had friendly wizards right there in the Compound with me. If the vampire would have attacked, he would have been killed in an instance. In Romania, their Ministry is a bit lax about Dark Arts, see."

Her eyes rounded. She said, "I could see that, I guess. Makes sense. Did people you know use Dark Arts out in the open? Like at the Compound or in public areas?"

Charlie nodded, "Oh, yeah. Definitely. It took years before I was used to it."

Delilah took a sip of her tea and added another heaping spoonful of sugar. Charlie grinned and she asked, "What? What are you smiling at?"

"You." He chuckled, "With your obsessive amount of sugar."

"I can't help it if you like your tea bitter." She replied, "Makes me cringe."

"I'm sure you've turned your tea to syrup by now."

"I certainly haven't, but I'm sure yours is like drinking road tar."

"What is road tar? I feel as if you're trying to insult me."

"It's a thick chemical that goes onto Muggle roadways. And I did insult you."

"You'll have to try harder than that. I don't offend easily."

Delilah rolled her eyes and finished off her tea with a flourish. She set the cup down and raised her eyebrows. She said, "Thanks for the tea and conversation. You make me laugh when I don't really feel like laughing."

He stared intently at her and quietly asked, "What's bothering you, Delilah?"

She picked at the napkins on the tabletop, meeting his eyes and then glancing away. Her hair was long and usually held up in a ponytail at work. He had seen her shake her hair free from its confinement in the past. Usually as they were leaving the Sanctum late at night. He had tried not to stare and failed spectacularly. Her hair was a stunning shade of strawberry blond. Such the lightest color of ginger. As if it couldn't decide if it wanted to be honey-blond or ginger-bright. The hair was wavy and he knew she hated that it wasn't straight as a pin. She insisted it was a frizzy mess. Inside of his head, Charlie thought it was lovely.

Blue-grey eyes looked up at him as he slid his hands across the table and put them gently over the top of hers. The fidgeting with the napkin stopped instantly. He whispered, "Talk to me. Maybe I can help you."

"I just…" Delilah met his eyes once more and bit her lip. He waited patiently, although his knee was bouncing underneath the table anxiously. She opened her mouth on an exhale. She abruptly blurted, "Gideon is with his father for the weekend. I'm always stressed when he's away from me. Logically, I don't think his father would hurt him. I feel as if something is missing when Gideon's gone regardless of how many times, I tell myself he's just fine."

Charlie rubbed his thumb over her hands. He whispered, "I can only imagine how hard that must be, Delilah. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but you're a great mother. You deal with the stress so your son can have a relationship with his Dad. Your son comes first and I can see that in the way you live your life."

Delilah smiled and it was a bit wobbly, but genuine. She quietly said, "You always know just what to say, don't you, Charlie?"

He gave a lopsided smile and said, "I don't know about that."

They set in silence for a prolong moment. Just staring at each other. Their hands connected on the tabletop. Charlie glanced at their hands before looking up and slowly asking, "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

The peaceful expression on her face morphed into surprise. No, shock. As if she truly couldn't believe he had asked her out on a date. Charlie stopped rubbing his thumb over her hands. He froze, watching her for a few seconds. He began to pull his hands back across the table. He looked at the biscuit tin and said, "Don't worry about it if you're busy. I understand. It was just a thought."

"No." Delilah replied faintly. She cleared her throat and said, "I would love to."

Charlie looked at her face, observing and wondering. He asked, "You sure?"

"Yes." She smiled brightly, "I was surprised is all."

He frowned and asked, "Why would you be surprised?"

Her eyebrows raised and she laughed, "I'm always surprised when anyone is willing to spend time with me, Charlie."

His heart skipped a beat uncomfortably when she made comments like that. He cleared his throat and said, "We can go to this little Italian place I know of. Or we could go to this seafood spot just up the road from here."

"Whatever you want is cool with me." Delilah shrugged her shoulders.

Charlie smiled and said, "Casual dining places are my usual."

She smiled and said, "Good…because I'm definitely a casual girl."

He shook his head and replied, "You're more than that. Definitely."

* * *

Their date went well, although Charlie was unsure if it counted as an actual date in Delilah's mind. He hadn't clarified that he wanted this to be considered romantic, but when he thought pointedly on it all Charlie realized that was exactly what he wanted. He was worried about potentially ruining their friendship. They shared simple happiness and banter. They shared a solid working partnership at the Sanctum. The idea of not interacting with her anymore was enough to make Charlie bite his tongue. He didn't kiss her at the end of the night when he Apparated her to the front door of her house in a Muggle town. It was just a hop and skip away from the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole.

It was a modest Muggle town with only a few scattered farmhouses spread across a backroad. There was a small gas station just up the road from her house, but all the usual Muggle structures were off the main highway far south. Charlie hadn't been to her home until that moment, but he had found the small red car in her driveway interesting. He knew his father would be delighted to see it.

Halloween night, Charlie Apparated to a specific section of trees behind Delilah's tool shed. Her backyard was small in comparison to the farmhouses in the area, but Charlie decided she still had plenty of space available for any future projects. After all, she had only been living on the property for seven months and would have time putter outside of working hours.

He walked out from behind the metal building and made his way around the house and to the front door. He was just walking up the sagging steps when the bright red door was thrown open. An energetic boy with strawberry-blond hair, a flushed face, and bright blue eyes barreled into his legs. Charlie laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. He said, "Hey, kiddo. How's it going?"

"Charlie!" The boy exclaimed while jumping around on the porch. His bright blue eyes, starbursts of wonder, were locked on Charlie's gaze. He exclaimed, "Mom says you're going Trick or Treating with us and I have to behave or else I might embarrass her. She thinks I won't run off if you're with us. Oh! Do you want to see my costume? Do you?"

Charlie nodded and said, "Yes, I want to see it."

"Okay!" The boy jumped forward, eyes wide, as he snatched for Charlie's big hand. The wizard let the little boy pull him into the house. With a flick of his wand, the door shut. He asked, "Where's your Mum?"

Gideon giggled and said, "You talk so funny. Everybody here talks funny. _Mum._ I call her Mom, but it's cool how you say it. She's in the bathroom right now."

Charlie chuckled and said, "You know, other people here in England probably think you talk funny as well."

Gideon nodded rapidly as they entered the living room. He went to the sofa and sat down, digging through a plastic bag. He said, "Some kids at school make fun of me. I don't care, though, because other people are nice to me."

Charlie sat down on the opposite side of the sofa and watched as the boy pulled out various pieces of his outfit. He asked, "Did your Mum know you were answering the door, Gideon?"

The boy paused and frowned. "No."

"You shouldn't answer the door for a stranger, Gideon. I mean it. That isn't safe for you or your Mum. Next time, go get your Mum and let her answer the door."

Gideon frowned and said, "I looked through the peep hole. You aren't a stranger. I know you, Charlie. You're Mum's friend."

Charlie cracked a smile and said, "You're right, but you should still ask your Mum if you can open the door whenever somebody knocks. Okay?"

It was at this time that Delilah came walking into the hallway with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her body. She had her head down and was feverishly scrubbing another towel over her damp hair. Her voice was muffled as she said, "Did you finish your dinner, baby? It's about time to put on your costume."

Gideon was giggling madly as Delilah twisted the towel over her hair and flipped her head upward. She yelped, eyes going wide, as she clutched her chest. There was an instant blush coating her cheeks as she squeaked, "Charlie!"

"Sorry, Delilah." He tore his eyes from her scantily clad body and looked at the giggling boy. He said, "I've just given Gideon advice on opening doors without Mum's permission."

"Right." Delilah replied, "Let me go get dressed. You two stay here."

Gideon had no problem abruptly stripping down to his underwear. He pulled the black tights up his legs with extreme difficulty. He fell twice before Charlie crouched down and suggested, "Why don't I hold the trousers while you step into them?"

Once the pants were on, a black shirt went over his skinny, little chest. Charlie helped the little boy latch a plastic chest-plate, which showcased a spectacularly funny set of wash-board abdominal muscles. Gideon turned around at Charlie's request and it took several minutes of fumbling before he managed to close the plastic clasps of the fake bat wings. The little boy excitedly shoved plastic teeth into his mouth as Charlie said, "Let's have a look."

Charlie tapped his chin, squinting his eyes. Gideon grinned and asked, "Is it cool? Do I look like a vampire bat?"

"Not quite." Charlie crouched back down and waved his wand at the boy's face. A tiny drop of red dye appeared and dripped off of the boy's little chin. Charlie smiled and replied, "Now you look scary. Go show your Mum. I bet she will love it."

Gideon chirped, "Okay!" He ran from the room quickly.

Both mother and child came down the hallway laughing. Delilah came back into the room wearing a tight pair of denim jeans and a black t-shirt with a sparkling orange Jack-O-Lantern on the chest. She was barefoot and Charlie felt a tug deep within her chest when he noticed the crimson red polish on her toenails. She had told him enthusiastically that her favorite color was red on several occasions.

After a brief lecture on safety, mainly including looking both ways before crossing the street and being polite when ringing doorbells, Delilah took her son's hand and left the house with Charlie tailing behind them. Gideon babbled on as they walked down the street. It was rather dusty and Charlie's boots kicked up dirt as they walked. He could smell grass and rain and cow manure. Delilah called out, "Don't jump in that ditch or you'll get your feet all wet, Gideon."

The little boy stopped, grinned, and then began to skip through the grass at the side of the road. Delilah gave Charlie a smile and said, "Thanks for coming with us."

Charlie watched the little boy run around as he replied, "I remember coming here as a kid for Trick or Treating. It was a fun time with my brothers. He's lucky to have a Mum like you, who is more than willing to let him participate in fun things like this. It's important."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing anything right by him." Delilah sighed, "I have no idea how your Mom managed to raise _seven_ children. My goodness, I think the woman is my hero and I've never even met her. She must be incredible."

"She is," Charlie answered without hesitation, "But so are you."

The creamy skin along her cheeks and neck blushed. She whispered, "Thank you."

They stopped at the edge of a driveway of Delilah's nearest neighbor. It was an elderly couple, both sitting in big rocking chairs on their front porch. They smiled brightly and talked happily with Gideon as he marched confidently up their steps. Delilah raised her hand and waved when the elder woman looked her way. They exchanged another wave before the woman loaded up Gideon's bag. He came jogging back to them on uneven footing. The boy was tall for his age, but he was also fairly clumsy. Charlie remembered that Ron had been the exact same way. Poor guy hadn't managed an ounce of grace until he stopped growing at seventeen years old.

Charlie wondered if Gideon got his tall and thin form from his father. Delilah was shorter and voluptuous with a pleasing oval-shaped face. Gideon was all knees, elbows, and sharp facial features. Of course, the strawberry hair was all his mother. Charlie was content, perfectly happy to follow the excited boy from house to house. Delilah switched between walking hand-in-hand with Gideon and brushing elbows with Charlie as the kid ran about.

It was extremely dark by the time they reached the end of farmhouses. Delilah muttered, "Maybe we should have driven my car."

"We could walk off into the trees over there and Apparate." Charlie suggested.

Delilah held tightly to Gideon's hand. The sack of candy was heavy and the little boy was vastly running out of energy. Delilah held the sack in one hand and gripped Gideon's hand with the other. Charlie had a difficult time seeing, but could easily hear the scrapping soles of Gideon's shoes as he dragged his feet.

"Come along, baby." Delilah said, "We have to get home."

Gideon stopped walking and mumbled, "I'm tired, Mom."

Charlie bent down, easily scooping the boy into his arms. Delilah tried to protest, but Charlie shook his head. Gideon tucked his head against Charlie's shoulder. Charlie whispered, "I don't mind holding him, Delilah."

* * *

The first time he kissed Delilah was an ordinary day. Or it was an ordinary day before he planted his lips against hers. They had been working and sweating despite the chilly November air. Belle and Brian were irritable. Brian specifically was acting aggressive when anyone dared step through Section A Ward. Charlie knew it was because the dragon parents were being protective of their eggs. If Charlie was a dragon, he would use his teeth and claws to protect his young as well.

Delilah understood this and wasn't upset at the dragons' reactions. For the first time, Charlie found _himself_ upset with the dragons. Both of them had carried a large cooler box down the hills on broom. The plastic cooler bobbled along. Charlie lowered it to the ground just outside Section A Ward. He pulled out a rack of raw beef ribs, heaving the heavy meal to the Ward boundary. Between him and Delilah, they swung several sets of bloody beef ribs past the barrier.

Brian swooped in quickly, growling and snapping his jaws. Crunching and swallowing tons of bone and raw meat in seconds. He flew across the stream and deep into the trees. Belle could be heard grumbling and scarfing food down her gullet. Satisfied with their job, Charlie and Delilah entered the Ward. Because Belle was sitting near her egg nest, there was a concentration of dung just a few steps outside of the treeline.

The dragons were staying within the trees because it provided a hiding place for themselves and the eggs. The trees provided shelter from the elements, which would be vital for the survival of fresh hatchlings. Also, their main water source was only a handful of dragon-steps away from the trees. Therefore, this was prime location and neither parent would leave until the babies were hatched and much older.

Delilah began taking vial samples and neatly writing the name of the dragons on the label. Then, she started Vanish the dung to the holding warehouse far South. From there, it would be packaged and sold to institutions for profit at the Sanctum. Charlie stood facing the trees with his wand at the ready. Despite the sudden aggressiveness and blundering on Brian's part, Charlie was prepared. It was vital that the eggs remained safe, so Charlie allowed Brian to get awfully close to them before sending a powerful Stunner at the underbelly. It hit Brian hard and he stumbled, roaring in anger. Delilah was cursing violently and colorfully from behind him.

Charlie shouted, "Get it done quickly!"

Brian was already charging again, wings spread and mouth inhaling. Delilah cursed, "Son of a bitch. Damnit. _Goddamnit."_

Charlie sent another Stunner right as Delilah grabbed him tightly from behind. There was a yanking sensation and then Charlie found himself on the top of a nearby hill. Charlie watched, spellbound, as Brian roared from below. He shook the ground with his rage as fire burnt and blistered the grass on which they had been standing seconds before. It was shaky mumbling from Delilah that finally caught Charlie's attention. He whirled around and felt his heart jump. Delilah had managed to get burnt. He dropped to his knees beside her as Delilah sat in the wet grass and cast simple Healing charms on the edge of her forearm.

"Damn." Charlie sighed, "I'm sorry. It'll only get worse with Brian now."

Delilah shook her head and pulled a small jar from her pocket. She smeared a drop of Burn Salve on her fist-sized wound. The skin was shiny and delicately pink. Charlie said, "He must have let out a few sparks right before we Portkey'd."

"Yes," Delilah said gob-smacked, "You would have been burnt to a crisp. I can't believe you were going to keep fighting a dragon. Jeez, Charlie, you really are crazy."

Charlie sighed and slowly replied, "Don't be upset, but I think Brian was mad because you were inside of his territory. He trusts me, but was angry at me for allowing you entrance. I need to feed and clean Section A by myself from now on."

Delilah sprung to her feet rather quickly for someone who had just been injured. Charlie stood up and took a step back, cautiously watching as storm clouds grew within those blue-grey eyes. She demanded, "Do you think I can't handle myself?"

"No." Charlie replied simply, "Brian prefers me and is in a delicate state."

"You can't go into a Ward by yourself with an aggressive parent-duo." She retorted, "You wanna spout off about safety concerns, but you're more than willing to turn a blind eye to those rules as long as it is you doing the rule-breaking."

Charlie ground his teeth together and snapped, "I have experience well beyond your caliber. As Head-Handler, I make quick decisions based off of what I have learned. I'm telling you right now that I don't want you entering Section A again. Under any circumstances. Do you understand me?"

"I understand that you're a jerk right now." She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. Hard. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were burning through him in a way far worse than dragon fire. Delilah shouted, "I'm intelligent enough to recognize danger when I see it. My job is to care for these animals and I'm going to do exactly that. Dragon Tamers as well as Handlers work in pairs and groups. That's how it is and how it's always been. You know that. You aren't some lone ranger, Charlie."

Charlie gripped her wrist and stepped forward, effectively holding her to him. She was unable to escape. He was so close to her that their noses were almost touching. Charlie narrowed his eyes as he looked down at her. He snarled, "I don't want you getting hurt, Delilah. It has nothing to do with your intelligence or capabilities."

"Why?" She huffed, tugging at her wrist in irritation.

"Why what?" He snapped, still holding her arm. She stopped trying to pull her arm free because she realized she was hurting herself by causing friction. His hold was actually gentle in comparison to her frequent tugging.

She rolled her eyes and demanded, "Why does it matter if I'm hurt or not?"

"I give a damn." Charlie released her wrist and took a step back. "What kind of question is that? Am I the type of man to give the impression of not giving a care?"

"No." Delilah replied in confusion, "Of course not."

Charlie was frowning, eyeing her in a mixture of anger and amazement. She snapped, "Why are you looking at me as if I'm a frog?"

"I care about you." He whispered as he stepped forward. It was as if the gentle tone had scared her far more than his shouting. Charlie kept his dark green gaze locked on Delilah's face as he brushed calloused fingers against her cheeks. He cradled her head and softly pressed his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss. An innocent and wondrous question, which quickly turned into a burning and raging inferno. His hands slipped into her hair the moment he heard her gasp and part her lips. His tongue sought hers with no hesitation, but he was surprised and humbled to find a woman as stubborn as Delilah was actually shy. Her lips moved slowly and unsurely.

Her body was plastered to his, one slender leg slipping between his. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and her chest moved rapidly against his. Charlie let out a muffled moan when her tongue slowly cruised across his on. He caught her lower lip and sucked gently. She was gasping when he released her swollen lip and trailed open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat. He flicked his tongue against the hollow of her throat as she tilted backward, eyes falling closed.

He placed one last kiss to her throat before slowly pulling back and helping her stand upright once more. Her eyes were wide and dilated. Charlie soaked in the image of heady desire and awe stamped across her facial features. He gave a soft smile and whispered, "Good…?"

She blinked and murmured, "Yes. Perfect."


	3. Part Three

Somewhere between their first kiss and their second date, during which Delilah was laughing so hard at one of his jokes she snorted like a pig and grew berry-red with embarrassment, Charlie decided he wanted his family to meet her. He spent a few weeks thinking on it. It was on a freezing cold night in the beginning of December that the opportunity presented itself. Charlie was sitting on the wooden chair near his front porch, watching the sunset and drinking a cup of steaming hot tea. He had fed his dragons only thirty minutes before and was tired enough that he was considering going straight to bed without a shower.

He discreetly sniffed his armpit and decided the shower was definitely in order before sleeping. After finishing his tea, Charlie waved his wand in a well-practiced move and Vanished the dragon dung off of his thick boots. His neck and head were aching, which reminded him that he needed to brew Pepper Up and a mild Muscle Elixir. Again. The older he got, the more he found himself in need of a variety of medical potions. He had snagged an Excellent in N.E.W.T level Potions, which was not necessary to become a Dragon Tamer or Handler, but was certainly appreciated. Being able to treat minor to mild injuries was greatly smiled upon within any Magical Creature department.

He was drying his hair with a useful Charm when there was a knock on his front door. Charlie slipped a pair of fuzzy socks over his cold toes and went to the door. He had expected Bill because Bill was the only individual, besides his parents, who ever showed up unannounced to his house. And yet it was Delilah's pleasing smile he saw when he opened the door. He ushered her in, hand on her elbow to gently steer her. He could see the pleasure and hesitation in her eyes, so he slowly leaned down and kissed her cheek.

He whispered against her skin, "Hello. I'm glad to see you."

When she let out a soft noise of contentment, Charlie let his lips trail to her mouth. His kiss was soft and chaste before he pulled back. She was quite short, which made for a rather interesting height difference between them. Delilah looked up with blushing cheeks and said, "Hi. I keep telling myself not to just drop by here."

"Why?" He asked as he gestured. She followed Charlie to the small kitchen. He began to heat water with a kettle and a quick Charm. Delilah sat at the rickety, little table and watched him. She let out an uneven laugh. "I wouldn't want you to find me annoying and constantly in your space."

Charlie frowned as he poured a cupful. He gently pushed a bowl of cream toward her and replied, "I don't find you annoying and I like when you're underfoot."

They sipped in silence. Charlie opened a tin and handed over a freshly baked lemon biscuit. Delilah groaned happily and munched on the sweet treat, eating it in exactly two bites. Charlie handed her another, which she took with a smile.

He blurted, "Would you like to meet my family?"

The look on her face, so stunned and nervous and unbelieving, while her cheeks puffed out because she had shoved another biscuit into her mouth, made Charlie's heart beat faster in his chest. Delilah swallowed and slurped on her tea. She bit her lower lip and slowly asked, "You want me to meet your family?"

"If you don't wish to," Charlie replied quietly, "I won't be angry."

There was a pause. Charlie raised an eyebrow and said, "I would be curious enough to ask 'why not' if you don't wish to meet them."

"I wouldn't mind meeting your family." Delilah replied eventually.

"But?" He leaned forward and prompted playfully.

She sighed, "There is quite a lot of them. Your family sounds incredible."

"There is and they are, if I do say so myself." Charlie replied easily. He kept his stare on her face, watching the emotions play across her facial features. She muttered, "What if they don't like me…?"

He laughed, "They will love you. I have no doubt of that, sweetheart."

Greedily, Charlie watched the pink blush steal across her cheeks once more. She said, "I have so many stories bouncing around in my head about your brothers and sister and parents. About Harry and Hermione and Fleur and Angelina. The children. Yes. I want to meet them."

He smiled and asked, "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?"

Delilah laughed and replied, "I'll be with you."

Charlie whispered, "Brilliant."

* * *

After work on Christmas Eve, Charlie cleaned himself up and had dinner at Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur were more than willing to let him join in the festivities. Charlie was content to watch Vic, Dom, and Luis open gifts from their parents. They each had a small mound of treasure compiled by the time Charlie pulled the brightly wrapped packages from his pockets, enlarging the shrunken items and passing them out. For Victoire, he had ordered a rather expensive text involving Advanced Ancient Runes from China.

He figured Bill and his eldest child who be pouring over the book and discussing its contents for the next year. For Dominique, he had given a protectively enchanted pair of leather Quidditch shin-guards that were custom-made by a craftsman in Romania. For Luis, a complete Gobstones set with his name embroidered on the velvet pouch and a companion guide-book included.

The next morning dawned bright, cold, and wet. The weather didn't damper the Weasley family whatsoever. By noon, the entire family was squeezed into the Burrow. Children were racing about, slipping between adult legs and sending more than one man to the floor on accident. Voices were a crescendo of chaos. Some calmly talked business while others heatedly debated the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.

The women giggled as George and his twins played noisy pranks on the men. Often times, the other children were enlisted to aid in their antics. Molly raised her voice, sternly fussing George and numerous grandchildren, at least eighty-two times. However, the big smile on her rounded face gave away any sense of seriousness she would have held otherwise.

After a large spread of baked turkey, glazed ham, roasted lamb, steamed vegetables, boiled and baked potatoes, buttered breads, and savory sauces, the adults were filled and somewhat subdued. The youngest children were bouncing in their seats, squirming and eagerly asking about gifts every five minutes. The older children tried to maintain a cool sense of indifference, but they perked up and paid attention every time a younger sibling or cousin asked The All-Important Question.

Impatient, the youngest grumbled while the eldest shared annoyed expressions. It was Albus who casually looked up from his empty plate and asked, "Grandma?"

"Yes, love?" Molly spoke, turning away from the sink, where she and several others had been piling soiled dishes.

"May we open gifts?" He asked politely.

She smiled, ruffling his hair and looking around the room at all the bright eyes. She said, "Of course. Everyone, into the den."

There were multiple whoops, particularly from Freddie and Roxanne, who nearly barreled right over Lucy and Molly on their skinny legs. Each twin scooped up a little girl as they passed and hoisted her onto their shoulders. Shrieking giggles could be heard from beyond the kitchen. There was a harsh crash followed by Rose and Lily exclaiming, "James! Watch out!"

Dominique could be heard chortling. Hugo loudly stated, "You better fix that before Grams finds out."

Albus stood up from the table, carrying his plate to the sink and handing it to his mother, who was still stacking dishes with Angelina and Fleur. Ginny ruffled her son's hair as he made his way toward the den. All adults in the room watched as Luis copied Albus's movements. Luis asked, "Hey, Al?"

Albus looked down at the eleven-year-old. "Yes?"

"Will you play Gobstones with me?" Luis asked. Before Albus could answer, the younger boy nervously began to babble. "I don't really understand the rules and Dom says she thinks it's boring. And the twins tried to show me, but they're kind of distracting. And Hugo was busy reading his new books. And I think you're the smartest anyways, so you could probably teach me."

Albus blinked and nodded. "Sure. We can after we open gifts."

They began walking, but Albus paused and turned around. He shifted his weight from foot to foot before quietly saying, "I'm not the smartest."

Luis blinked and slowly said, "Everyone else thinks so. Well, except Rose and Hugo. That's because they think they're the smartest."

Albus shook his head and replied, "Intelligence isn't measured like that."

Luis frowned and asked, "Like what?"

Albus said, "In clearly understandable levels. There is no smartest and dumbest or anything in between. Remember that, yeah?"

Luis nodded quickly. "Okay. Sure."

The little boy followed Albus out of the kitchen. Charlie whistled lowly and eyed everyone else. He said, "Damn clever kid."

Harry sighed, "Yeah. I feel like he's the one teaching me most of the time."

Christmas ended in a flurry of colorful paper and multi-colored Weasley sweaters and fruit cake with warm mugs of milk and joyful laughter and innocent faces beaming brightly. By early evening, the majority of the family had left with droopy-eyed little ones in their arms or rambunctious teenagers at their elbows. Unfortunately, Ministry employees such as Hermione and Ron, Percy, and Harry all had work the following morning.

George had made the decision to open the shop for a few days, so the youngsters could spend their holiday Galleons on products. Fleur was tired and Charlie was suspiciously wondering if his sister-in-law was pregnant. She had taken her daughters and son home after numerous complaints from Dom and Luis, who had been intently learning Gobstones from Albus beforehand.

This left Bill and Charlie sitting around the fireplace with Arthur and Molly. The den was in disarray. Green and red ribbons were hiding halfway beneath the sofas. Boxes were stacked in a corner, tilting dangerously. A stray Gobstone lay near the coat-rack. Teacups were scattered on tabletops and the mantle. The Christmas tree stood tall, yet leaning toward the left. The fairy lights were twinkling brightly, but the baubles were dangling by a thread and threatening to fall right off the branches.

Charlie took a gulp of Firewhiskey and watched Bill do the same. His older brother looked a tad worse for wear. He could not pin-point why. Maybe it was the tense set of those broad shoulders. Maybe it was the occasional twitch of his right eye or the way he sighed, long and heavy, when Fleur left through the Floo. Charlie was not surprised when Molly demanded, "What is it, William?"

Bill's blue-green eyes met Charlie's dark green gaze before he sat up straighter in his chair. Bill stared at the flames for a moment before sighing, "Fleur is pregnant."

Charlie and Arthur shared a look as Molly clapped her hands together once. She exclaimed, "Oh, but this is a good thing. I know this may have been unexpected, but- "

Bill cut her off by roughly saying, "No, Mum. You don't understand."

Charlie felt his body go tense at his brother's tone. Bill ran hands through his long hair as Molly firmly asked, "What is wrong?"

"This wasn't to happen again." He growled, "She was taking a Contraceptive Potion on the regular. She's pregnant and it isn't going smoothly."

There was a pause. Arthur quietly asked, "What do you mean, son?"

Charlie cleared his throat as a startling thought came to him. He stated plainly, "She's sick. Worse than any of the other times."

Bill glanced at him before nodding. "Yes."

"Have you been to St Mungo's?" Arthur asked. He clasped hands with Molly.

"Yes," Bill sighed, "And they are clueless."

There was an oppressive silence before Bill said, "We are traveling to France as soon as the kids go back to Hogwarts. I took a sabbatical from work. Fleur's parents know Specialty Healers in Paris."

Molly slowly asked, "She is having more than simple morning sickness?"

"Yes." Bill's breath caught in his throat. He continued to stare at the flames as he replied, "She can hardly keep any solid food down. It has gotten to the point where all she can handle is liquids. I have her drinking water, chicken broth and Restorative Draughts. She is losing weight instead of gaining."

"How far along is she?" Their mother asked in a whisper.

"St Mungo's claimed she is fourteen weeks." Bill swallowed heavily, "I'm not sure."

Molly inhaled quietly, "She is slim as ever."

"Exactly." He growled, "Exactly my point. At over three months, she should have the barest of a roundness to her stomach. She doesn't. At all."

"We will help however we can." Arthur stood up and clasped Bill's shoulder. Charlie watched as Bill leaned into that touch. "We can keep the children during holiday if you two must stay in France. If you need money, we will find it."

Bill whispered roughly, "Just be here. That's all I need."

Charlie leaned forward, rubbing at his brother's shoulders for a moment before sitting back in his chair. He met and held Bill's stare as he said, "We will do all we can. Hermione is a much better Brewer than me, but if you don't want her knowing about this right now, then I can brew the Draught for you."

"We have been buying from the Apothecary lately." Bill sighed, "It will help."

Charlie nodded. "I can have a batch made by tomorrow night. I will drop by the Cottage after work. Likely late."

Bill watched as his brother stood up. He gave each parent a hug, lingering and holding Bill's shoulders just a moment longer than usual. When Charlie made for the door, Bill frowned. He called out, "Charlie?"  
Dark red hair popped back into the room. "Yeah?"

"Aren't you going to ask them?" Bill asked curiously.

Charlie's eyebrows raised. "Ask them what?"

Bill snorted, "Don't play dumb, baby brother."

Charlie gave a rouge grin before looking toward their parents. He asked, "Do you mind if I bring a friend for our New Year's Eve gathering?"  
"A friend?" Molly asked as she wiped the residual tears from her eyes. "Of course, honey. Who is it? Daniel or Edgar?"

Bill let out a choked laugh and shook his head. Charlie rolled his eyes and said, "No, Mum. He is a _she._ Her name is Delilah."

"A woman?" Molly asked in astonishment as Arthur smiled softly.

"Yes." Charlie nodded and replied, "I do know some girls, Mum."

"Is this a girlfriend?" She asked, eagerly.

He hesitated a moment too long before Molly squealed wordlessly. Arthur put his hands around her waist and chuckled. Charlie shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Yeah. Okay. _Okay_ , Mum. Can you not act as if the entire world is right as rain?"

"I can't believe it." Molly exclaimed, "A girlfriend. Did you hear, Arthur?"

"Yes, love." He answered cheerfully, "I'm sure she is lovely."

Molly smiled, "I can't wait to meet her. My Charles is finally bringing a girl home."

Charlie eyed his parents before slowly saying, "She isn't used to big family events. Try not to overwhelm her, please, Mum. Definitely don't mention phrases such as _babies_ or _marriage._ That's my only request."

Bill smirked and Charlie gave him a rude gesture before heading back to his cozy hut on the beach. The next night, well after mid-night, Charlie appeared on the porch of Shell Cottage. He was still in his work uniform, covered in dung and dust. There were multiple nicks on his fingertips from cutting Potion ingredients while exhausted. Charlie carefully set a thick leather sack on the front steps and put the sack under a Stasis Charm. Inside of the sack was twelve crystal vials filled with orange-red liquid and a smaller velvet sack filled with Galleons. A messily scrawled note read: _Don't bother giving this back. Healers are expensive and your children are mine as well. Love, Charlie._

* * *

Charlie worried about Bill and Fleur, but tried to remind himself that they were both in Paris, consulting with some of the most world-renowned Healers available. When a knock sounded at his door, Charlie tried to put the worry aside and focus on the present moment. He opened the door to find Delilah dressed in dark denim jeans, brown leather boots and matching leather jacket. It was the tight-fitted sparkly blue top underneath that had him pausing to stare rather indecently.

He swallowed heavily, "Good evening. You're beautiful, did you know?"

She turned as red as a tomato and laughed, "Thank you."

There was a pause as he watched the warm blood slowly fade from her rounded cheeks. Delilah twisted her fingers together and nervously asked, "Is this shirt too much? I wanted festive and nice, but not slutty."

Charlie frowned and said, "You are not a slut."

Delilah abruptly smiled. "The shirt is good?"

"Definitely." He whole-heartedly replied. "Are you ready to go now?"

"Um, sure." She tugged her leather jacket tightly against her and took his offered arm. Charlie shut the door with an absent-minded wave of his wand. She said, "I want to apologize in advance if I somehow embarrass you or say the wrong thing."

Charlie stopped walking, took her by the shoulders and leaned down so they could be eye-level with one another. He murmured, "You won't embarrass me. That's impossible. Just be you, Delilah. They will like you."

"I dunno." She mumbled and averted her eyes. "I'm loud and clumsy. I tend to offend people without even realizing it."

His jaw clenched and he cursed inside his head, but made sure not to speak harshly out loud. It was moments such as these that made him wish he could point his wand at _him,_ Gideon's father, and Curse him within an inch of his life. Charlie traced Delilah's jawline and lips before saying, "I like you. I like you loud and clumsy. And if somebody is offended so easily, especially when the offense was not purposely committed, then that person is an idiot."

After a gentle kiss, Charlie took her hand and Apparated to the edge of the Burrow's property. Even behind the protective Wards, they could see the flashing strobe lights and shrieking laughter and rowdy horse-playing occurring in the yard. It was dusk and Charlie knew the children were gearing up for a spectacular firework display. He felt Delilah's feet begin to drag as they passed through the Wards.

He chuckled, "It will be fine. My mother may be a bit enthusiastic. She has a habit of match-making and is quite the romantic. If she becomes too much, just politely make an excuse and come find me."

"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" She asked, breathlessly.

"I will try not to." Charlie said as they strolled down the hill. Originally, he had decided it would be best not to be overtly physical with Delilah tonight. She was shy in public and they had not crossed many physical boundaries yet. Also, any physical contact would fuel his mother's fire. This plan was quickly buried and forgotten as Delilah kept her arms tightly tucked beneath Charlie's right forearm.

"Don't worry." He soothed and petted her hair as they came to the rickety picket fence. He opened the gate and waited until it had stopped creaking before saying, "The majority of my family is quite busy, so the crowd is a bit smaller than usual. I promise everyone here will be perfectly polite to you. Well, maybe _perfectly polite_ is a bit of a lie. They may tackle you or shove cake into your face."

"What?" She squeaked.

When they came around the side of the house, they were met with whooping war cries and flashing blurs of colors. "Uncle Charlie!"

A tall, lean boy with a headful of dark, curly hair and sky-blue eyes came to a screeching halt just in time to avoid crashing into them. He held out his arms, catching a girl of equal height and the same wildly untamable dark curls. The two teetered, but managed to balance out. The boy held out a hand and smiled brightly. "I'm Freddie. It's nice to meet you."

Delilah untangled herself from Charlie, feeling a melting sensation in her chest as she shook the offered palm. She said, "I'm Delilah. It's nice to meet you, too."

Delilah grinned and asked, "Are you Roxanne, the twin sister?"

Roxanne smirked and proudly held out her hand. They shook as Roxanne said, "Yes. That's me. Just call me Roxie. Nobody uses my full name unless I'm in trouble."

Delilah chuckled in delight and said, "Yes. I've heard you two have played some incredible pranks on your Uncle Charlie. You'll have to let me plan a prank with you."

"Sure." Freddie smiled easily.

Roxie frowned and suspiciously asked, "Are you sure you'd want to?"  
Charlie chuckled and said, "Delilah is sneaky all on her own. If the three of you gain up on me, I will have to retaliate with my own team of misfits."

The group walked toward the rowdy bunch of individuals sitting around large picnic tables. There were a chorus of greetings, but it was Molly who barreled forward and wrapped Delilah into a warm hug. Charlie watched, grimacing at first, until he noticed the sheer stunned joy sparkling in Delilah's blue-gray eyes. Molly pulled back, holding onto Delilah's elbows and steering her toward the picnic table.

"It's so good to meet you, dear. Why don't you sit down here next to George and Angie? I have plenty of food, so tuck in. Delilah, was it? Such a pretty name."

She blinked and smiled as Molly handed her a fork and knife. Her elbow and shoulders were brushing against a tall, lean man with a handsome face full of laugh lines and freckles. His hair was shaggy, skimming just below his earlobe. He wore a lime-green shirt with eye-wateringly bright pink lettering, proudly proclaiming the logo of his business. His outer robes were dark blue. He gave a grin and said, "Hello. I'm George. I hope you aren't afraid of small spaces because there is no such thing as personal space with this lot."

Charlie sat across from them, elbow-to-elbow with his father. The older man, the Weasley patriarch, was kind. Delilah could tell instantly by the simple look in his eyes and the softness of his smile. Molly was at the other end of the table, fussing and clucking right along with Percy as two little girls with ginger hair, named Lucy and Little Molly, threw peas at each other. Delilah chuckled and shrugged, "I don't mind."

"Hey, love." A beautiful woman with mocha skin and a mass of wild dark hair sat forward, pushing George in the chest in order to get a good look at Delilah. She said, "I'm Angelina, this one's wife."

"Oh, hi." Delilah smiled and sent an awkward little wave. "Your hair is gorgeous."

Angelina broke out into a brilliant grin. "I like you. I could say the same about yours. My goodness, what conditioner do you use? Your hair is so shiny and healthy."

Delilah smiled and said, "It's a Muggle brand I found years ago."

She told Angelina the name and where she could find it. Within five minutes, they had both decided to go shopping together the following Saturday.

George snorted and eyed Charlie critically. "Do you see what you have done? My woman will be nattering my ear off about hair products for the rest of the night." Angelina smacked him over the back of the head and rolled her eyes. Delilah smiled, becoming distracted just as Molly plopped down beside her husband. She looked a bit harried, but frowned when she saw Delilah's empty plate.

She asked, "Aren't you hungry, dear?"

"Oh, yes." Delilah replied, "I was too busy talking at first. It's a habit of mine."

"Talking too much?" George chortled, "I wouldn't have guessed."

She eyed the various mind-boggling dishes with wide eyes. Charlie chuckled and leaned forward, scooping out several options onto her plate. He pointed to a steaming mini-pie filled with meat and dark gravy. "Eat that. You'll like it."

She did so and was quite pleased. Conversations continued all around. George and Angelina talked of Quidditch with Charlie. Arthur and Molly discussed a new law regarding Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Much further down the table, Delilah could hear Percy firmly correcting his daughters' table manners yet again. A gaggle of children, two of them clearly identifiable as the twins, were laughing and shoving and passing dishes in a frenzy of motion. There was another tall red-head male seated next to a bushy-haired brunette woman. They seemed to be sharing an inside joke, the woman leaning on the red-head's shoulder in a fit of giggles.

Delilah focused on the Quidditch talk because it was the only subject matter she was firmly knowledgeable and interested in. There was a spoonful of dark, concealed substance on her plate. She took a small bite and swallowed, quickly reaching for her water and gulping it while trying not to be noticeable. Charlie cut his eyes at her, silent laughter shaking his broad shoulders.

George leaned down and whispered, "I saw that."

She blushed and whispered, "Don't tell your Mom, please."

George grinned, "Haggis isn't for everyone. Angelina doesn't like it, either."

"What is it?" Delilah murmured, eyeing the dark blob.

He answered, "Sheep stomach with minced heart and lungs."

Delilah let out an alarmed squeak as George broke into loud chuffs of laughter. Eyes around the table riveted to them. Delilah felt her face warm and she glanced helplessly at Charlie. It was Molly who demanded, "What did you do to the poor girl?"

"Nothing." George smirked, "She did it to herself."

Delilah rolled her eyes and elbowed him. "I'll get you back."

Dessert went well and Delilah ate a sliver of cherry cheesecake happily. She eyed the length of the table, searching for those delicious lemon cookies. She saw none and tried not to be disappointed. She rose and began to help Molly and the other women gather dishes. Molly was waving her wand about, sending streams of cups in one direction while plates went in the opposite. Another movement had brooms sweeping the porch and folding the tablecloths.

Angelina hurried after the gaggle of children trying to yank a box of fireworks out of George's hands. Three kids were laughing and sitting on his feet, preventing him from walking, as the twins tried crawling up his back. Delilah smiled.

"Have the children or George scared you off yet?" The bushy-haired woman asked with a kind smile. She held out her hand and Delilah accepted. "I'm Hermione."

"Delilah." She replied with a small smile. "You're Ron's wife?"

"Yes." Hermione said, "I see Charlie caught you up beforehand. Smart of him what with so many of us."

"Oh, this is definitely more people than I'm used to." Delilah chuckled slightly, "But no. The kids are too funny."

Hermione and Delilah watched as Arthur picked up a little girl from beneath George's feet. Behind him, Ron swooped down and picked up the other little girl. Across the yard, Percy and his wife were helping Charlie levitate numerous chairs their way. Hermione pointed and said, "The youngest girls are Percy and Audrey's. The older girls are Dominique, Roxie, and Lily. The one currently beating Freddie over the head with a Firebuster is Dominique, Bill and Fleur's daughter. Lily, Harry and Ginny's daughter, is quite sneaky and is wrapping around the tree in order to ambush George. Ah, Roxie is determined to help her do so."

"And yours?" Delilah asked, enjoying the commentary. She pointed and said, "The red-headed boy who is reading underneath the tree is your Hugo, right?"

Hermione looked at her and said, "Yes. Right on the spot."

There was a pause as they watched the scene unfold before Hermione chuckled, "My daughter is named Rose. She and Albus, that is one of Harry and Ginny's sons, are inside. Both are writing essays for History of Magic. And James is suspiciously absent, which means he is probably bothering them. I suppose I should go fetch them, so they don't miss the firework show."

Delilah laughed and sat down as Charlie brought two chairs toward her. He sat beside her and asked, "Are you having fun?"

"Yes." She smiled widely, "I really am."

Percy came to sit beside them with a little red-head on his knee. She squirmed, which caused Percy to sigh heavily. The little girl was no older than six and had stunning ginger hair with bouncy curls. The man was slim with short, curly hair slicked with gel. He wore horn-rimmed glasses that hid his lake-blue eyes. He had a sharp chin and slashing cheekbones that was rather striking, certainly different than any of his siblings. He shook hands with Delilah and greeted her politely. A quiet woman with mousy brown hair sat on Percy's other side and gently rocked another red-headed little girl. That one seemed to be older, perhaps eight or nine years.

Hermione came back with three teenagers in tow. A teenage girl sat beside Hermione. Both teen boys had jet black hair and pale skin, free of Weasley freckles. Of the two, one was much brawnier while the other was taller and leaner. The brawnier one took off like a shot, barreling straight toward his family. The adults were trying to control the crowd as George set out numerous large boxes in strategic places throughout the yard.

Ron came back, plopping into a seat beside Hermione and the teenaged Rose, who had ginger hair the exact shade of Ron's. It was too light to be considered red, but rather could be considered a startling orange. Rose had a far-away look in her sky-blue eyes and smudges of ink across her hands. Ron looked at the girl and asked, "Have I ever told you how wonderful you are, Rosie?"

The girl smiled softly and said, "Yes, Da."

"Do you know why?" Ron asked.

The girl's lips tilted up even further. She said, "I don't get caught causing as much mischief as the others. This means you don't have clean-up duty."

Charlie chuckled as Ron patted his daughter on the shoulder. "That's right."

Hermione scoffed, "You're teaching her to be secretive, Ronald."

Rose shook her head, "No, Ma. He can't teach me what I already know."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and Rose quickly said, "I'm going to help Uncle George and Aunt Angie with the fireworks."

It took considerable time and one startingly shrill warning from Molly until the children all sat on the ground at the adults' feet and watched the fireworks. Everyone tilted their heads up, watching a dazzling display of brilliant color. Delilah scooted forward until her feet were firmly planted on the ground and her butt was teetering on the edge of her seat. Her back was straight and her head tilted to the point of her neck's protest. The children were not the only ones exclaiming loudly when a particularly huge boom was followed by crackling starbursts. When it was over, Delilah's ears were ringing and her nose was numb with the cold.

She was grinning even after saying goodnight to the Weasley family. Charlie took her hand as they made their way through the Ward, Delilah offering a wave when the young twins called out a hasty farewell. They walked down the dirt road for some time. Nothing but the fields of grass were their companion. The wind was steady and chilling, which had Charlie recasting Warming Charms every ten minutes. Delilah kept glancing up at the sky. At one point, Charlie caught her lips moving as if she were speaking. He asked, "Why do you keep looking at the sky?"

She smiled, turning to look at him as they walked. "I like counting stars."

He paused. Charlie slowly asked, "Would you like to come back home with me for the night? I'd make sure you were up and awake in time to pick up Gideon."

Delilah's smiled faded and she began to bite her lip. The gesture made his heart squeeze and patter harder inside of his chest. They walked on, still holding hands. She whispered, "Yes. I would like that."

Charlie stopped walking, stepping closer and leaning down. He intertwined both hands with hers and kissed her lips just once before Apparating with a cracking noise that echoed through the night. It was a long time before they spoke again, but when they did it was in soft whispers and pleasured gasps.


	4. Part Four

Weeks passed in a blur. The first of a new year usually meant an influx of paperwork at the Sanctum. Formal request for funding had to be filed. Financial books had to be balanced. Profits and deductions were discussed thoroughly until Charlie wanted to scream and throw Curses at all involved in the meetings. The only time he was actively dealing with the dragons was in the early mornings and late evenings. Even then, all he did was provide food quickly. More than once, he had to remind himself that he was no longer a simple Dragon Tamer.

He was responsible for more than his own skin. He was responsible for every single body that was within the Sanctum on any given day. This meant both human and dragon alike. The only ones above Charlie were the owners of the Sanctum. And the brothers, David and Harris Fawley, were depending upon Charlie. He knew his resume, filled with experiences from over a decade abroad, spoke for itself. And yet Charlie wished to prove himself beyond those words on parchment. This meant each day began before sunrise and it did not end until well past midnight.

It was the first weekend of February before he managed to see his family for a traditional Sunday dinner, although he had managed several Floo Calls to his eldest brother. They were going through numerous treatments and had remained in France since the holidays. Charlie found himself worrying constantly. One too many letters from his mother had Charlie deciding he needed to dedicate some time at the Burrow.

That Friday, he hastily bought a couple of ham sandwiches and tracked Delilah down. He offered the sandwich after she Charmed her hands clean. Lacking a seat, they sat in the grass directly outside of the main Wards. Both quietly ate before Delilah said, "You look very tired."

He gave a wan smile and replied, "I am. My eyes might start bleeding if I stare at numbers on parchment anymore."

She asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He nodded and replied, "Come to dinner at the Burrow Sunday."

Delilah said, "Sure, but I need to home to meet Gideon at six o'clock."

"Okay." Charlie shrugged, "No problem. I can have you home by five."

They were greeted warmly when they arrived that Sunday evening. This time, Harry and Ginny were there. Both greeted Delilah politely. She couldn't help but notice the eldest Weasley sibling was still missing in action. Bill. The Curse-breaker. The adventurer. The genius that was capable of complex Charm work and knew every Ancient Rune there was to know. He was but two years older than Charlie, so the two grew up together in the charming old house, sealing a deep bond Delilah only had an inkling about.

Angelina smiled brightly, patting the space on the bench beside her. Grateful, Delilah sat beside Angelina throughout the meal. They talked of Charm work George had developed in order to better tame Angelina's hair.

"He says he did it for me, but I know it was for Roxie. We received an owl from the Headmistress months ago. Roxie and Freddie had gotten detention for fighting in the corridors. Turns out, a classmate told Roxie she had ugly hair one too many times."

Delilah sighed, "Kids can be cruel. I wish I had half the volume you all have."

As dessert was passed about, Percy politely asked her what had brought her to Britain and Delilah scrambled for an answer. She knew that she lacked the local accent and sounded American. She was hoping panic didn't show on her face. "I have family here. I've lived in America most my life, but I was born in Scotland."

All were giving her polite, if curious looks, especially Hermione. Molly opened her mouth and asked, "Oh, really? Who is your family, dear?"

Delilah blinked. Charlie casually changed the subject by saying, "You did well with Brian and Belle Friday. I forgot to thank you for taking care of them. Damned paperwork. I'll be happy when we can get back to our regular schedule."

She looked to him as Percy abruptly asked, "You work together?"

Charlie answered easily. "Yes. Pass that custard, Dad, please."

The custard made its way down the mildly silent table. Delilah squirmed in her seat, eyes casting around before focusing on Charlie. Molly stood up and said, "So, you're a Dragon Tamer, dear? That certainly fits with Charlie."

She felt herself blushing. It was Charlie who gently corrected, "Handler. She's a Handler, actually."

Angelina and Hermione hastily started talking to their husbands. Both of whom adamantly began discussing business at the joke shop. Delilah bit her lip, hand jerking when Percy suddenly demanded, "Is this not considered quite inappropriate?"

" _Percy."_ Molly snapped "You will mind your manners at my table, full grown man or not. You best apologize."

Charlie stood up and came around the table. He said, "Come on, Delilah."

"Oh, no." Angelina muttered, "Stupid berk."

"Really, Perce?" George grumbled.

"You don't have to leave." Ginny spoke up, irritably. "Sometimes Percy is a jerk. Sometimes we all are. Really, Delilah, Charlie. No harm was meant."

Delilah felt guilty for leaving early when it was clear that the dinner was not officially over yet. The awkward air was hanging terribly over her head and she hated the fact that such a big, happy family was upset because of her. She stood up and cleared her throat. She tried to give a smile and meet the eyes of everyone but Percy.

"The food was nice, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you. I'm sorry to have upset anyone. I really do need to go home. I have a…prior engagement to handle."

"Oh, dear." Molly came forward and threw a glare at her son over her should. She patted Delilah's hands, which were clasped in front of her. Charlie stood behind her, so closely that she could feel the warmth from his body.

Molly said, "You come back whenever you wish. We would be happy to have you. Any Sunday you want, yeah?"

Delilah smiled and nodded and took the plastic plate heaped full of cake, tarts, and cookies. Charlie took the plate from her and said, "We have to go, Mum."

Several people offered sincere goodbyes, including George, who promptly dumped mashed potatoes on Percy's head after calling out a farewell. Delilah gasped as Molly began to shriek and Arthur began to soothe his wife. Even after Charlie closed the front door, they could hear Angelina, Ron and Ginny's echoing laughter.

Delilah said, "Thanks for the distraction."

Charlie huffed, "My brother can be a nosy, pompous arse."

She nodded and replied, "I don't mind so much because it's pretty clear he doesn't mean to be rude. They'd all have to find out I work with you eventually."

Charlie offered his palm, which she took eagerly. They Apparated to her backyard and walked into her house. She offered tea, but laughed when he stood up to make it. He smirked, "Americans cannot make tea worth a damn."

He noticed the frown lines marring her forehead about halfway through their cup of tea. Another ten minutes had her pacing the wooden floors. Charlie finally asked, "He is late, I take it?"

"Yes." Her breath released in a hiss. "Twenty minutes past six is _not_ sick o'clock sharp. I _told_ him to put Gideon through the Floo."

Charlie quietly asked, "Has he ever been late before?"

"Yes." She sighed, tears welling in her eyes. She turned away from Charlie and went to the window. She stared out at the night and quietly said, "He does this because he knows how it upsets me. He knows I can't stand it when Gideon is away from me."

Charlie wanted to go to her, to wrap her in his arms and murmur sweet words into her ear. Charlie wanted to find _him_ and make him hurt for doing this to Delilah. More than either of those options, Charlie wanted Gideon standing in front of him with toothy grins and happy chatter.

She muttered, "It is an hour past time."

Charlie murmured, "You can contact the authorities or we can get him ourselves."

She stared at him, eyes wide and teeth gritting together. He wasn't sure why she was looking at him like that, but an uncomfortable feeling tightened inside his chest. They waited a few minutes more before Delilah spun toward the fireplace, grabbed a handful of powder, and tossed it into the fireplace. She fiercely stated, _"Andor Avery. Avery Estates."_

And walked into bright green flames, disappearing into their depths. Charlie jumped up with wand clutched in his hand. He stared, rapidly blinking as the inferno of green grew cold and empty. Her words echoed inside of his head, slamming into his skull so hard that his temples were pounding with pain. _Avery. Avery Estates._

He sucked air into his burning lungs and began his own frantic pacing. Half a dozen times, Charlie glanced toward the analog clock on the wall next to the television. The further time stretched on, the wilder and chaotic his thoughts became. He would send a Patronus to his father. To Bill. To George. Hell, to Percy. They would come. Charlie knew they would come without hesitation.

Except it was late in the evening and Bill was in France. He was in France, desperately trying to find answers to his wife's failing pregnancy. And his other brothers all had work to attend to early in the morning. And this wasn't an emergency, was it? Charlie wasn't sure. It _felt_ like an emergency. His stomach was knotted and rolling as if he might vomit. His breath was harsh in the silence of the house. His footfalls were hefty and uneven, nothing like his usual finesse. Despite how much he drew in air, Charlie felt like his lungs were starving.

It was half seven when the flames roared to life, startling him into jumping. His wand was trained at the flames, but dropped when a trembling Delilah and a teary-eyed Gideon stepped from the fireplace. Her face was pale and her eyes too bright, but her jaw was clenched. She patted her son lightly on the shoulders and whispered, "Go have a bath. Don't forget to brush your teeth, baby. I will check on you soon."

Gideon nodded wordlessly and silently made his way down the hallway. When he passed by, Charlie slowly reached out a hand and carded his fingers through soft strawberry hair. He whispered, "Missed you, kiddo."

Gideon gave a faint, wobbly smile before darting away. Charlie turned to Delilah. She stared back, chin raised up and tensing as if waiting for a blow. He slowly tucked his wand in the waistband of his pants and held his arms open. There was pause and then the brittle mask broke. She was crying, softly sobbing as she tumbled into his arms. He folded her in as closely as possible, letting her press her face against his chest as hard as she wanted to.

Her voice trembled as she said, "I should have told you about him from the beginning. I was scared you wouldn't want to deal with it all. I'm still scared that you will think it is too much to deal with."

Charlie squeezed her tighter and whispered, "That won't happen."

"He's horrible." Delilah choked, "My family is Pureblood and so is his. It's complicated and stupid. As a teenager, I thought I had no choice. The wedding was arranged and I hated it from the start to the finish. By the time I realized how much trouble I was in, I was pregnant. I knew I had to get Gideon away from Andor, but it was so difficult. It took my family seeing a black eye and broken ribs before they believed me."

Charlie felt his body grow cold, except for his chest where her tears were soaking through his robes. She sniffled and wobbly said, "I'm trying to gain full custody of Gideon, but the Averys have influence here that the Fawleys don't. To be honest, the Averys have us beat financial, too. My uncles are barely managing the payments to our solicitors. The Averys keep pushing the court dates further back and that drags out the entire process."

Charlie's lips felt numb as he said, "The Weasleys may not have lots of money, but we have influence. We have more influence than anyone else."

Delilah stilled in his arms and scratchily asked, "What?"

He licked his lips and whispered, "Dad has been a faithful Ministry employee for his entire life and his friendly with mostly everyone in a position of power. Percy is Junior Undersecretary to the Minister. Harry is Head of the Auror Department and oversees the whole Law Enforcement Department. Hermione is Undersecretary and is personal friends with Minister Shacklebolt. Hell, there is serious talk of Hermione becoming the next Minister at the end of Minister Shacklebolt's term. Every family member I just mentioned has a seat on the Wizengamot as well."

Delilah slowly pulled away from him. Her face was splotchy and eyes red-rimmed. She stuttered, "W-What are you talking about?"

Charlie felt a sharp pain that stole his breath. He inhaled and fiercely whispered, "I'm talking about fighting with you. I'm talking about using what I have in order to help you protect Gideon."

She stumbled back and sank onto her sofa. He watched as Delilah hung her head and mumbled, "I can't let you do that."  
"Why not?" He demanded and dropped to his knees beside her.

"This is huge, Charlie." She insisted, voice muffled as she covered her face with her hands. "I'm not sure if you understand what you are saying."

"I know exactly what in the hell I'm saying." He replied hotly.

There was a pause. Thoughts were still slamming around in his skull. Charlie swallowed heavily. "Do you love me?"

Delilah's head whipped up. Her eyes were stormy blue and wide. Her pale face grew paler as she whispered, "What did you say?"

"Don't do that." Charlie reached for her hands and gripped hard. He said, "Don't overthink or deflect. Just feel and answer honestly."

Delilah pressed her lips together as fresh tears trailed down her face. He could see the terror in her expression as she gasped, "Yes. Yes, I do."

He murmured, "Do you remember what you told me after our first night together?"

She frowned and then blushed. "I said many things."

He reached out, shifting both of her hands to one of his. The other swiped tears off of her face in a gentle caress. He said, "You told me you had never felt anything like that. You told me you had only been with one other person and you were glad you didn't suck at it with such little experience."

They both let out uneven laughs. Charlie kept swiping his thumb over her cheek as he said, "I never felt anything like that, either. Not until you, Delilah."

Delilah bit her lip and whispered, "I don't know what you want."

"Yes, you do." He corrected with a soft smile, "You know exactly what I want. I've made it clear many times. You're just scared and that's okay. I'm still here."

"What are you saying?" Her voice went up an octave in stress.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers and tasting salt. He pulled back and said, "Marry me. Marry me because you love me. Marry me because you love being around me. Marry me because you want to build a life with me."

She let out a sound very much like a whimper of fear. Charlie tightened his hand around hers and murmured, "I love you. I love Gideon. I will be a father figure for him. You both will be my family and you will gain a whole slew of annoyingly well-meaning people as family. We can laugh over dragon dung at work and keep Gideon at our side for every single holiday. He won't have to see that abusive man anymore. We can move so far beyond him. One day, we can create a little life together and give Gideon a sibling. Or a dozen. You and he and any other kids will know nothing but love from me."

Delilah fell into his arms, hugging him so tightly around the neck that he couldn't breathe. His arms banded across her waist and held. His eyes were squeezed shut as she let out a watery laugh. "Do you promise?"

"I do." He whispered, rubbing his cheek against her shoulder.

"Then, yes." A thread of sound reached his ear. "I will marry you."

* * *

After the hiccup with Percy at Sunday Dinner, Charlie sent a brief letter to his brother in order to smooth things over. He had tried to remain polite, but found himself irritable every time he thought of the exasperating predictable response Percy had given. The letter read: _Percy, life is not confined by set rules. I have my way and you have yours. Respect me and mine as I respect you and yours. Love, Charlie._ It was not until several days later that he managed to slot time into his schedule in order to write a letter to Bill as he had not spoken to him in quite a while.

_Dear Bill,_

_How is Fleur doing? No news is hopefully good news. I had a quick bite with Victoire at the Leaky the other day. She is thriving and enjoying her work. She is a nerd, just like her father. Always going on about Runes and Arithmancy equations. Teddy showed up and, of course, stole every bit of her attention. Wedding plans are certainly in your future, my brother. I sent letters to Dom and Louis, both seem to be concentrating on school and Quidditch. We all have plans to meet up at the Burrow for Easter hols. I hope to see you and Fleur. Send word when you have time, no matter how brief. Love, Charlie._

Delilah invited him over for dinner the following Friday. After feeding the dragons, and making a final round to make sure their charges were settled for the night, both Apparated to her house. They landed directly at the edge of the treeline behind the little tool shack. Charlie asked, "When will Gideon be home?"

Delilah cast a Tempus Charm as they entered. Both stomped their boots on the porch steps, scrapping and Siphoning off muck from the soles. She said, "About an hour. It's Friday, so my Uncle David takes him for ice cream directly after his lessons."

Charlie smirked and asked, "Fancy a bath together?"

Her cheeks reddened in the way he liked best. She let out a giggle. "Yes."

After an initial Cleaning Charm, to get the majority of sweat and dried dirt off of their bodies, Charlie and Delilah climbed into the large claw-foot tub. Charlie wordlessly patted his chest, legs widening underneath the water as Delilah slowly scooted closer. When her bare back finally settled against his chest, Charlie let out a low hum. His arms banded across her waist. His thumbs caressed the soft weight of her rounded hips beneath the water.

Everywhere he looked, Charlie saw smooth, pale skin like fresh cream. Curiously enough, Delilah did not have many freckles. Just across the bridge of her nose and a light sprinkling over the tops of her shoulders. He leaned forwardly slightly, pressing his pectorals deeper against her shoulder blades as his lips and tongue traced each smattering of freckles across her upper shoulders.

She whispered, "I am so lucky to have met you, Charlie."

He paused his ministrations, giving her hips a little squeeze before saying, "I believe you meant to say I am the lucky one."

They lapsed into silence, so Charlie picked up the thick sponge lying on the lip of the tub, lathering it with herbal soap and beginning a gentle massage over Delilah's back. The suds slid sensuously down his own chest and arms as he worked. He could feel her body tensing and frowned. He asked, "What is it?"

"Do you…?" She broke off abruptly before saying, "Do you really want to marry me?"

Charlie dropped the sponge into the water, and pulled her closer. He reached up and touched two fingertips to her chin. "Please, look at me."

After a moment, Delilah complied and tilted her head back to a rather uncomfortable degree. Stormy eyes stared back at him, wide and so hopefully fearful. Charlie felt his chest grow tighter for a split second before he could breathe easily again. He was used to the sensation now.

"I love you, Delilah." He murmured, "I have never told a woman that before. Not one who was anything other than a mother, sister or niece to me. I'll marry you, care for you and Gideon, if you'll have me."

A slow smile tilted up the edge of those pink lips. "I love you too, Charlie."

He smiled slow and sure before playfully asking, "For the rest of our lives?"

She let out a laugh and splashed him with water. "Yes." She said, "Only if you want me, though."

"I do, Delilah." Charlie grinned. She watched freckles dance across his face. "I really do."

* * *

**Epilogue**

It took a year. One year of public scrutiny, of lawyers and documents and coin exchanging hands. Of heatedly whispered conversations around dinner tables and dark shadows under eyes from lack of sleep. One year of nosy reporters and surprising flashes of cameras when least expected. Endless months of the Weasley name splashed across newspapers, accompanied by many somber, freckled faces. The successful, and horribly troubling birth, of Fleur and Bill's third daughter added a sense of relief amidst the chaos. Even still, they could not keep the news out of the press as every move made was being observed carefully.

And yet, finally, one late August day, a little boy stood in the middle of a courtroom. His body trembled like a leaf in a storm, but his bright blue eyes never left his mother's face. She sat, ram-rod straight, in a chair. Charlie sat beside her, blocking most of her from view with his big body. He caressed her hair and held her hand. He gave the boy gentle smiles. Gideon didn't fail to notice both of them trembled, too.

Just behind Delilah and Charlie, there were numerous other seats and a sea of redheads. Big, tall, skinny, and stocky. Some with eye specs and some without. Freckles and long noses. Green and blue and warm brown eyes. There was Angelina, Harry, and Hermione as well. They didn't look like the Weasleys, but they _were_ family anyway.

Those people, nice and kind and funny, were in the courtroom for _him._ He held onto that thought as all the fast-paced questions being asked came tumbling down. He tried to ignore all of the eyes and ears and cameras. When the final question came, the Minister's voice echoed strongly, "And do you wish to be rid of your father's, one Andor Avery's, custody from here on?"

"Yes." Gideon Avery rasped, "I want to stay with my Mom. And the Weasleys."

There was a pause in which all he heard was the hammering of his own heartbeat. Minister Kingsley, a tall and dark and broad man, stood up. He nodded once and said, "Very well. A decision has been made."

Gideon's knees knocked together and his bottom lip wobbled no matter how hard he tried to keep it from quivering. There was shouts and loud clicking from the cameras. He couldn't focus on the droning of voices any longer. There was stomping of feet and then he was swept up into his mother's arms. She smelled fresh and familiar as she hugged him to her chest. His slender arms wrapped around her neck and he clung to her. A quick glance showed very wide shoulders and a mop of red-hair hovering nearby. A small hand reached out. A big, freckled and calloused set of fingers wrapped around his own. Suddenly, all the loud people didn't seem like such a bad thing.

Two weeks later, Gideon Weasley stood beside his Mom and Dad as they were married underneath an apple tree in the Weasley Orchard. A month following that, he would learn that he was to become a big brother by winter. All was well.


End file.
